Today President Barnard and members of the University of Manitoba senior executive team met with Indigenous student leaders to hear directly their perspectives on a number of issues of importance to Indigenous students and to the community more broadly. Also present was Jerry Daniels, Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization. The participants agreed to continue to meet to discuss topics such as inclusion and the representation of Indigenous voices in the University, anti-Indigenous racism, and promoting Indigenous languages amongst other topics of common concern, and to meet again early in 2019.

The importance of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives at the University of Manitoba is referenced explicitly in its Strategic Plan vision statement and throughout the Strategic Plan document. Within each strategic priority are Indigenous-focused goals and actions, and one priority speaks directly to “Creating Pathways to Indigenous Achievement.” Progress on the current strategic plan through its midway point can be found here.